Patient Trust

We had a day with Peter Scazzero during cross cultural training in New York City.  God prompted us to purchase his book, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and also his small book called the Daily Office which are bite size pieces from the bigger book.  If you haven't read his books, they are great and I highly recommend them.  

But anyway, this morning's Daily Office really spoke to my heart and I wanted to share it with you.

Genesis 12:1 - "The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you."

Scazzero paints the image of the Christian life as a journey.  And he points out so well that "Journeys involve movement, action, stops and starts, detours, delays, and trips into the unknown".  And he states that "journey's with God require much patient trust", the area that I so often struggle the most.

Patient Trust

Above all, trust is the slow work of God.

We are quite naturally impatient in everything 

to reach the end without delay.

We should like to skip the intermediate stages.

We are impatient of being on the way to 

something unknown, something new.

And yet it is the law of all progress 

that it is made by passing through

some stages of instability - 

and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you;

your ideas mature gradually - let them grow,

let them shape themselves without undue haste.

Don't try to force them on,

as though you could be today what time

(that is to say, grace and circumstances 

acting on your own good will)

will make of you tomorrow.

Inly God could say what this new spirit

gradually forming within you will be.

Give our Lord the benefit of believing

that His hand is leading you.

And accept the anxiety of feeling yourself 

in suspense and incomplete.

Pierre Teilhard De Chardin

"Grant me courage, Father, to embark on the unique journey you have crafted for me.  By faith, I surrender my need and desire to be in control of every event, circumstance, person I will meet today.  In Jesus' name, amen."